Ski harness



Aug. 26, 1941.

E. H. CARROLL SKI HARNESS ori inal Filed March 11, 1939 l llllll Ill sh hw Patented Aug. 26, 1941 I 2,253,890 SKI HARNESS Elbert H. Carroll, West Boylston, Mass. Original application March 11, 1939, Serial No.

Divided and this application February 5, 1940, Serial No. 317,302

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved ski harness. The present application is a division of application Serial No. 261,393,. filed March 11, 1939.

The objects of the invention include the provision of an improved clamp for a ski harness; a toothed adjusting bar for quicker and easier adjustment thereof, with a toothed cable-connected slider having means to clamp it to the bar; a clamp and tension adjustment therefor which involves fewer parts than thought necessary heretofore; and a ski harness in general which permits a finer positive locking adjustment of the cable tension than has been heretofore devised.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view showing the clamp loosened;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of parts of the clamp.

In carrying out the present invention, the ski I0 is provided with the usual foot support II, the spring-connected cables l2 extending about the heel of the ski boot in the usual manner. These cables are similar to each other and pass thru openings in the cylindrical holders l4 and [6, each cable being held by crimped depressions l8 in the holders l4 and I6. Holder I4 is integrally mounted at one side of a plate or slide 20, and holder I6 is pivoted to the other side of said plate on a pintle 22, located in a plate 24 having a clamping surface 23 and a rounded end portion 28.

As shown in Fig. 4, the plate 28 has upper and lower members 38, 32, and is open at the side upon which is mounted the pivoted holder 16. This construction provides a passageway for the adjusting bar 34, which is provided with forwardly extending teeth 36, matching the opposite teeth 38 on the interior of the plate. The bar 34 is of a width to easily'pass between teeth 38 and plate 24 when in the open position shown in Fig. 3.

It is clear that the bar 34 may be placed longitudinally where desired with relation to the plate 28, for proper tension on the cables l2, and when the holder 18 and plate 24 are swung about pintle 22, so that the clamping surface 26 engages the plain side of bar 34. teeth 36 will engage and be held by the teeth 38 in any adjusted position of the bar. This provides a quick, easy, and very fine adjustment of the cable tension, which is very desirable among skiers.

To clamp the bar 34 to the ski, the following structure has been provided:

Bar 34 has secured thereto a plate 48 provided with upstanding ears 42 just short of the forward end of the bar, and mounting a pivot pin 44-. Swingably connected to the pivot pin is an operating lever 46 which is also provided with a pivot pin 48 beyond pin 44. Lever 46' is of general channel shape and the pins 44, 48 arev held in the legs thereof- Pivotally connected with pin 48 are two links 58, one on each side of the lever 46, and these links are pivoted at their far ends by pin 52 to a bracket or elongated bar 54 directly connected to the ski, in advance of the foot support. The bracket 54 is provided with longitudinal side edge flanges 56, at the forward ends of which the pin 52 is located. Flanges 56 are spaced just enough to receive the adjusting bar 34 slidably therebetween, so as to be guided thereby.

Each side edge of the ski has downwardly extending hooks 58 for guiding cables 12 and also for holding the cables down with relation to the top of the ski; and the bar 34 is guided at the end remote from the bracket 54 by a channel member 60, which is secured to the top of the ski. It will be apparent that the cables l2, acting centrally of the bar 34, and the member 86, acting adjacent the rearward end of the bar, cooperate to restrict the latter to a straight-line motion, preventing upward lift thereof, and the guiding action of the flanged bracket 54 prevents sidewise motion at the forward end of the bar.

The operation of the device is extremely simple and the structure provides for a very fine cable tension adjustment. Upon lifting lever 45, the tension on the cables is relaxed, as the bar 34 is urged in a rearward direction, thus loosening the cables. The bar is restricted to a straight-line movement, as above described, and cannot be raised from the ski, thus preventing misalinement of the parts and consequent loss of time in resetting the elements to correct position.

With the cables loose, the pivoted cable holder It may be swung about its pintle 22 and the teeth 36 are allowed to be disengaged from teeth 38. The cable plate 20 may then be adjusted with respect to the bar 34 to desired location, and the holder I6 is thereupon swung back so that the clamping surface firmly engages the non-toothed edge of the bar. The lever 46 is now pivoted down to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the parts will all be tightly clamped, as the bar 34 is urged forwardly, tensioning the cables l2, and the lever 46 and links 50 act as a toggle to hold the parts and prevent accidental displacement thereof.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a ski harness, an adjusting bar having engaging elements along one edge, a slide having a passage for the bar and having engaging means complementary to the first named engaging means, and a holding means for the end of a cable movably mounted on the slide and having a bar-engaging surface mounted in position to hold the bar in the slide with the complementary engaging means clamped together.

2. In a ski harness, an adjusting bar having teeth, a slide having a passage for the bar and having teeth adapted to mesh with the first named teeth, a holding means mounted on the slide and having a surface for engaging the bar to hold it in the slide with the teeth meshing, and harness cables, said cables being associated with said holding means and said slide and constructed and arranged to more firmly urge said holding means to holding position the greater the strain on the cables.

3. In a ski harness having cables, the combination with the cables thereof, of an adjusting bar having a rack on one side, a slide through which the bar is adapted to pass and having an inside rack adapted to mesh with said first named rack, and a member for holding the end of one cable, pivoted to a side of the slide, said member having a clamping surface to engage and hold the bar to secure the racks in mesh.

4. In a ski harness having cables, the combination with the cables thereof, of an adjusting bar having a longitudinal rack, a slide through which said bar is adapted to pass and having an inside rack, and a member for holding the end of a cable pivoted to the side of th slide, said member having a clamping surface arranged so as to engage and hold the bar to secure the racks in mesh and insure that the cables will hold the bar in position.

5. In a ski harness having cables, the co l-- bination with the cables, of an adjusting bar, a slide through which the bar is movable, means to clamp the slide to the bar, comprising a movable element on the slide to which one cable is connected, the other cable being rigidly con nected to the slide.

6. In a ski harness having cables, the combination of an element to which the cables are connected, one cable being rigidly connected thereto and the other being connected through a movable clamp member; with an adjusting bar movable with relation to said element and constructed and arranged to be clamped to the latter by said movable clamp member.

'7. In a ski harness, the combination of a clamping lever pivotally connected to an adjus ing bar, means whereby pivotal movement of said lever rearwardly is adapted to draw said bar forwardly; with a slide on said bar, a cable having an end directly connected to said slide, and adapted to pass about the heel portion of a ski boot, the other end of said cable being attached to a clamping member .movably mounted on said slide, whereby said slide may be clamped to said bar.

8. In a ski harness having a cable, the combination with the cable of an adjusting bar, means to move said bar forwardly to tension said cable, a slide on said bar, means to clamp said slide to said bar comprising a movable clamping element on said slide to which element the cable is connected, said element being adapted to engage said bar, and a uide to restrict the bar to substantially rectilinear movement.

9. In a ski harness having a cable, the combination with the cable of an adjusting bar, means to move said bar forwardly to tension said cable, a slide on said bar, means to clamp said slide to said bar comprising a movable clamping element on said slide, said cable being attached at one end to said slide and at its other end to said element, said element being adapted to engage said bar, and a guide on the ski to restrict the bar to substantially rectilinear movement, said guide beinglocated rearwardly of the slide.

10. In a ski harness, the combination of a base plate, a clamping lever pivoted to said plate and to an adjusting bar, means whereby pivotal movement of said lever rearwardly is adapted to draw said bar forwardly, and means providing cooperating guideways on said plate and said bar, with a slide mounted for movement with relation to said bar, a cable directly connected at one end to said slide and adapted to pass about the heel or" a ski boot, the other end of said cable being attached to a clamping member movably mounted on said slide, whereby said slide may be clamped to said bar.

11. In a ski harness, the combination of an adjusting bar, means adapted to move said bar with relation to a ski and clamp the bar thereto, a slide on said bar with relation to which the latter is movable, and means to clamp the slide to the bar in adjusted position; with a cable, said cable being connected at one end to said slide and at its other end to said slide clamping means and being adapted to pass about the heel of a ski boot, said slide clamping means being adapted to be actuated to clamping condition upon a movement of said bar in one direction with respect to said ski and said ski boot to tension said cable.

12. In a ski harness having a cable, the combination with the cable of an adjusting bar, means adapted to move said bar in a direction to tension the cable, a slide movable along said bar, means to engage said slide with said bar, means to clamp said slide to said bar comprising a movable cable-connected element, said element being effective to clamp said bar and slide together upon movement of said bar in said direction to tension said cable when said engaging means is operative.

13. In a ski harness, an adjusting bar, a slide movable along said bar, said bar and slide having means adapted to interengage to hold said bar and slide together in adjusted condition, means to clamp said bar and slide together with said interengaging means engaged, and a harness cable, said cable being connected to said clamping means and said slide and constructed and arranged to more firmly urge said clamping means to clamping position the greater the tension on the cable.

14. A clamp for a ski harness comprising a bracket adapted to be fixed to a ski, a link pivoted to said bracket, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to said link, a bar pivoted adjacent one end of said lever, said bracket having upstanding side flanges for slidably receiving said bar therebetween, and cables adapted to be secured to said bar.

15. A clamp for a ski harness comprising an elongated bar adapted to be fixed to a ski, a toegle comprising a link pivotally mounted on the bar and an operating lever pivotally connected with the link, an adjusting bar, a cable, means for adjustably securing the cable to said adjusting bar, means for pivotally connecting the lever 10 gated bar and engage the adjusting bar.

LBERT H. CARROLL. 

